Pages

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

A New Year is quickly upon us…..where better to ponder those new resolutions and goals than in a place that merges comfort and style for some daytime repose than in a luxurious day bed.

With a nod to the past and an eye on contemporary design, the daybed calls forth our nesting instincts. More intimate than a settee, yet more formal than a bed, this venerable form invites us to relax, recline, and indulge in a little daydreaming.

A daybed can second as a couch, or as a spare bed, look and feel amazing doing any of these tasks. Vicente Wolfe via Elle Decor

A daybed is the ultimate indulgence, but it also remains a versatile piece for resolving design dilemmas. It's a confident name, daybed, a shameless admission of luxury and leisure. After all, what other piece of furniture suggests that its user engage in some activity at a particular moment in time? To sleep when the sun is out ... how cheeky. According to Tulsa designer Charles Faudree, the rules of placement are hardly rigid. "I love one in the middle of a room, where people can sit on both sides of it and face in all directions."

Because of the daybed's sculptural nature, it can handily stand alone, where a bench or banquette might have gone. "It can work in hallways, if the dimensions are not too deep, or on large stair landings," says Trimble.

Designer Shannon Bowers for long time friend Stacy Hyde’s home a custom designed slip covered settee.PhotoDallas News

Other manifestations of the form included the baldachin-draped "Turkish bed" which by day was placed horizontally against a wall, thereby converting into a couch. Similar arrangements were made for the alcove bed, which was highly decorated only on one side, and the well-padded fainting couch, a late-Victorian conceit. And Sigmund Freud's famous "consulting couch" was actually a daybed with a scroll and pad at one end, backed with loose cushions and pillows and draped in a richly patterned woven rug. Photo Right: Habitually Chic on stylish fashion designers. Prerequisite for chic fashion designers to own fabulous flats in Paris. Or maybe living in the city of lights is what inspires them to create swoon worthy outfits every season. Erin Fetherston, has an apartment in Paris Photo from Domino

Veranda Kathryn M. Ireland Home bouclé on daybed cushion. Antique fabrics on pillows. Inlaid side table from Dan Marty Design. Jean-Paul Beaujard In the elegant airy living room, whose ceiling reaches 25 feet, stands a Jansen daybed. The chandelier is 1950s French; the rug, from the same era, is American. In the Heart of Paris, a Duplex Embodies the Essence of France Text by Peter Haldeman/Photography by Marina Faust Published September 2006 Architectural Digest

Photo Left: via Cote De Texas Veranda and Kay O’ Toole : photos byTria Giovan.Photo Right: John Willey House Beautiful March 2009 Another view of the Nantucket living room, the daybed is the perfect spot for watching sunsets and boats in the harbor. Anyone there with me imagining it?

NEW OR OLD:Many fabulous styles of daybeds today can be found…….new or old. Contemporary pieces can be geometric and spare or made to resemble antiques. The only guideline for selecting the right one is your personal taste. Look at the shape, the lines, the carving, the legs. Sit on it, lie down on it, feel the fabric. "It has to appeal to you visually," says Branca. "See it as a bed and as sculpture, and enjoy the elements of both."

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Welcome…… Christmas and the festive season with modern and traditional holiday decor. Tis the season……..Decorating outdoors is always a treat to see, especially when accented against black doors. With a layered palette of forest greens, soft silvers, and hints of brown and muted red, this front entryway has a festive vibe that's also subtle enough to last all winter long. A vibrant B.C. cedar garland decorated with dried fungi and silver balls adds color and lushness to the striking glass-paneled front door all winter long, while two urns overflowing with evergreens creates a symmetrical look for the front steps. To make similar urns, fill an urn with dirt and layer a variety of boughs, starting with Cedar and Douglas fir, then adding eucalyptus, ilex berries and magnolia. Branches are inserted into the centre of the urns to add dramatic height to the arrangement. Canadian House & Home

Use your beachcombing finds to trim the tree or front door, or even decorate wrapped gifts. Tie shells into place with floral wire and, if necessary, supplement your fragile finds with items purchased at shell shops. Attach a large sea star to the top of the wreath instead of a bow for a statement-making front door. Coastal Living

Don't overlook the backyard as a scenic spot for adding holiday sparkle.Dusted with snow and decorated with evergreens, outdoor tables and chairs transform into artful still lives. Arrange furniture to encourage open-air mingling when the weather allows, then trim patio doors with garlands strung with white lights. Complete the scene by dressing up footed antique urns: Layer cedar, pine and seeded eucalyptus boughs with small tree lights and top with ornaments for simple shimmer. Photography: Donna Griffith Source: Canadian House & Home